Teenagers are still discovering who they are. Overall, their life experiences will be relatively limited to where they grew up, their personal relationships, and of course, media. For most teens, they’re asked to choose a major and start their career path before they even really know the options that are out there. They get started, and then they slowly pigeonhole their experience and career efforts.
In many careers, you can simply shift and adapt your career as you go until you find a role that you like and feel fulfilled in. Don’t feel bad, however, if you weren’t able to do this. When you’re a recent graduate just starting the job hunt, it’s all too easy to say yes to the first employer that hires you just because it can take a while. That one job can lead to similar jobs and similar opportunities in that field – but if you don’t like what you do to start, then you can end up feeling trapped.
Though it may feel like there are no good options, there are. Your work experience can be transferred to new roles and even new industries. In some cases, the transition is seamless, and you won’t even need to retrain. In others, you’ll not only need to gain new skills but also work on expanding your network.
Even if you completely restarted your career in a new field, however, it’s absolutely worth the effort if you can end up on a new path that leads to a job where you feel fulfilled.
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How to Strategically Plan a Career Change
There are many different kinds of career changes to suit the level of effort you’re willing to put yourself through. When it comes time to actually sit down and strategize how you’ll get from A to B, it’s first important to outline what you want out of your new career.
This will help you pick out a dream role that you can work towards.
Don’t go into this planning stage assuming that the best career for you is the one you’re most passionate about. Not everyone wants to make their passion their career since that puts stress and pressure on their interests. Similarly, your goal salary might not be realistic with the career options you’re passionate about.
That’s why you need to consider what career will help you feel fulfilled. Fulfillment is different than passion. Rather than work in a job you love, you need one that supports you, pays you well, and that you find interesting. If you love to paint, but don’t want to turn your passion into a stressful push to get even one painting sold, much less enough to support yourself, then finding a career that’s interesting, pays well, and supports your health and well-being is your next best bet.
That’s why the second career you choose might not be into something fanciful or creative. In fact, most second-career professionals often move into a STEM-related field where they can earn higher wages and enjoy a healthier work/life balance.
What Wage Do You Need to Live Comfortably?
Work in minimums. What salary do you need to comfortably lead the lifestyle that you want? Some people want to live simply and don’t have large money needs, while others want a lavish lifestyle.
When it comes to wages, of course, it is important to look beyond just salary. There are many ways you can bring in income. You can invest in passive income streams, can invest your money, can rent out your home or even equipment, and more. Expanding your income streams puts less pressure on your salary, so you can then open up your options in terms of what you do. Some roles naturally pay more, others less. Roles that pay more are usually highly skilled, in a leadership role, or the market of professionals is smaller than the demand.
For example, working in tech (especially in security) is a great way to go if you want a high wage. Your work will usually be varied enough to keep it interesting, and what you do will have a big impact on the company that you work for. Working in a skilled role like cyber security is especially a smart move since not only is it a skilled role, but there are more open job positions than experts.
Demand is high, and it’s only going to increase. Cybercrime is at an all-time high, and everyone is at risk. As a security specialist, you can then hop through employers across industries. There isn’t much that will differentiate a manufacturing company from a retail store when it comes to their digital security.
Most people won’t have dreamed of being a cyber security specialist when they were children. This is a key example of a great career choice that can help you feel fulfilled and supported, even if it’s not something you’re passionate about. What you should be, however, is interested in security, have a knack for coding, and love a challenge.
What Work/Life Balance Do You Need?
Unless you’re entirely career-oriented and have put your career as your absolute priority, chances are you have personal responsibilities and even comforts that you don’t want to give up for the sake of your job. Some people could not fathom working in a job that demanded their time and attention after hours. Others simply cannot make that time because they have kids or dependents that need them.
It doesn’t matter what you think of a career, either. If the job in question doesn’t let you focus on what you enjoy outside of work, then it’s going to cause stress and strain in your life in the long run. You may not care much for your career and instead want something that is flexible so that you can focus on your friends, hobbies, kids, or even a side hustle.
Your life must be the priority. This doesn’t mean accepting a poor-paying job but instead working out what role will let you support yourself best. That cyber security example is another great option since you can work remotely and handle multiple clients in short bursts.
You may not be passionate about what you do, but if it supports you financially and personally, then it’s a great option for you.
What Job Options Are There in Your Fields of Interest?
Before you get caught up and choose any new role for yourself, it’s important to go to the job boards. Simply explore the jobs that are currently available in certain fields. This is a great, simple way to discover just what is out there and what skills you’ll need in order to apply. You won’t be able to immediately get your #1 job choice, but you will be able to take note of the skills and experience they’re asking for and then start working on getting them.
You may find that the role that really speaks to you has a name you never even considered. You may also notice that job titles can have vastly different responsibilities. Jobs with the title of “Associate” or “Officer” are incredibly hard to define, which is why it’s important to look at what they do and the experience that is required.
Take it one step further and look up professionals in those kinds of roles you are interested in, and once you have a short list, you can see just how those in the role got there. You may find they went along the same lines or went about it differently.
How to Retrain
When it comes to making a big career change, chances are the biggest obstacle is going to be your experience. You simply won’t have all the skills you’ll need to do the job you want to get hired for.
That’s where online education comes into play. Online education has completely changed the game for working professionals since you can now pursue short courses, workshops, and even full degrees from the comfort of your own home. Most online degrees are even designed for those who have families to raise or a career to focus on.Being able to log in and learn from anywhere and at your own pace is liberating. It means that more can retrain without taking on large extra loans (and, in some cases, without taking out a loan at all). It also means that you can work your education around your current job.
· When to Earn a Degree
Earning a degree is best when there are hard skills you want to learn and qualify for. It’s also the only option if the role you want to apply for requires a license. For second-career professionals, know that the type of degree you’ll want to start looking at isn’t a bachelor’s degree but a master’s degree. There are so many master’s programs out there that are designed for second-career professionals. Not only are they rather open-ended in terms of your previous experience and education, but they are also more career-focused.
Take cybersecurity, for example. If you don’t have cybersecurity experience already, you don’t need to go and earn a bachelor’s. Instead, you can simply take a foundation course before applying to the online masters in cybersecurity, where you’ll learn more about how to develop cloud security protocols, use machine learning and AI, data mine, test, and more.
· When to Take Short Courses or Workshops
Short courses and workshops are better suited for soft skills or knowledge building. For example, if you don’t know how to use a new tool or piece of technology, a short course is a better fit than earning a full degree. Degrees are for when you need a knowledge foundation and skills building wrapped up into one. Short courses and workshops should then be used to keep you updated with your skills or to round out your experience by helping you fill in a few missing gaps.
· When to Read, Watch, or Listen to Content
You can learn so much by following the latest discourse in your new industry, which is why every professional needs to invest in ongoing learning. You can do this by reading, listening to podcasts, or even using the text-to-speak feature to listen to articles, and by watching videos and going to talks.
Every industry is evolving. Follow the changemakers and reputable figures and publications so that you can keep your knowledge at the forefront of your field. This will help you talk the talk and walk the walk when it comes to starting a new career.
How to Build Your New Network
Your network is also going to need work. When you change careers, chances are that your existing network isn’t going to help. You need to invest time and energy into establishing yourself in your new chosen field.
· Start with Your University
If you are earning a degree to make that career switch, then start with your university’s alumni community and your coursemates. Even if you earn your degree online, you should be able to get in touch with other students. You can give each other support, guidance, and even just a sympathetic ear. Where your fellow graduates go with their careers from there will also be of interest to you, so foster strong relationships, use the careers services, and get in touch with the alumni network.
· Attend Events
Go to talks, conferences, workshops, and even meetups in your area. Those in large cities may even have something to do in their newly chosen field every day, if not every week. Going to these events is a great way to learn, show your dedication, and directly meet people that you’ll want to stay in touch with.
· Connect Online
Networking today is mostly done online, even if you meet in person. Why? It’s more comfortable. You don’t need to be so full-on and demanding when you first meet people, and you can instead have a good conversation, connect online (even if it’s just on LinkedIn) and then continue on your way. To stay in touch with them from there, you’ll want to be active online and engage with those in your network. This is how you can create a strong network that grows organically.
